5 Facts That Will Shape the Future of Healthcare

As technology becomes more advanced, so does healthcare. Every year, we see more advanced developments in terms of machines as well as in processes in hospitals and other healthcare providers.

But which of these developments are shaping the future of healthcare? Here are five of them.

Healthcare will become more personalized.

Data collection and analytics have given healthcare providers greater insight about their patients and how to serve them better. This, together with medical IT support and smarter technology, has made it possible for entrepreneurs to develop products that enable patients to have a more patient-centric experience.

Products such as wearable devices can be connected to each other to collect patient-specific information that can support predictive medicine. Wearables will only continue to become more popular. In fact, a report by the Consumer Electronic Association states that sales of fitness trackers and smart watches will reach $1 billion this year.

Digital diagnostics will rise.

One of the main themes of digital health is digital diagnostics. Providing tools, such as sensors that track temperature changes or detect early symptoms of a virus, is a great option for people who can’t get to a doctor’s office. This will enable people to take care of themselves better and treat symptoms early before they get sick.

Eric Topol, a cardiologist and director of the Scripps Translational Science Institute, says in his book The Patient Will See You Now, that “we are about to see a medical revolution with little mobile devices” and that “smartphones will play a role well beyond a passive conduit.” Someday soon smartphones will be able to perform blood tests, medical scans, as well as forms of physical examination.

Telemedicine and Remote Care will revolutionize home health care.

Some patients are sometimes unable to get to their doctor for a variety of reasons. Now, with more innovative technology, home healthcare services is possible, which saves patients both time and money. One such example is digital therapy. SimpleTherapy, allows physical therapy patients having trouble meeting up with a doctor, access to exercise therapy services that are user-specific and can be done with common household items. Products such as the iRobot’s RP-VITA also enables doctors to remotely monitor patients before, during, and after a procedure.

Robotics will come into play.

Nowadays, some robot prototypes are already present in some hospitals and they are expected to play an even more important role in healthcare in the future. Aethon’s Eve robots, for instance, are already present at the University of California, San Francisco Medical Center. They are performing tasks previously done by humans, such as delivery meals and medicines. Aside from this, robots are also expected to perform medical tasks such as surgery.

Electronic record keeping will be more efficient.

Efficient record keeping is crucial especially for healthcare providers because it can save healthcare providers lots of money, streamlines its processes and decreases malpractice claims. However, according to a recent study by the University of Michigan, only 6% of US hospitals meet the federal requirements. That percentage is expected to change significantly though because of the federal mandate that requires all public and private healthcare providers to adopt and demonstrate “meaningful use” of electronic medical records (EMR).

These new developments are all expected to change the future of healthcare industry. It is exciting to see how they will all work together to provide a better healthcare experience for patients.

No matter how cliché the statement, “Health is wealth” can be, it is definitely something that each individual should take into account. Need not worry though, because we can provide your medical institution all the assistance you’ll need through our exceptional patient services such as billing, coding, and even back office responsibilities. Learn more!